A Figure on Jade Steps in the Wind and Snow 41

Chapter 41: Experience

Xie Jin took two griddle cakes and rode her horse home, thinking of her daughter as she went.

She was unwilling to let her daughter pursue a martial career—her daughter’s constitution, which made her cough after every step, really couldn’t take it—so she had hired a reputable tutor to teach her at home early on.

But her daughter was not very smart. After studying for six or seven years, she could barely read an introductory article. If she were to take the imperial examinations now, she would probably be eliminated in the provincial examinations.

…Forget it, Xie Jin thought.

Let nature take its course.

Xie Jin held the reins and let her thoughts wander. She suddenly heard the sound of horse hooves from behind.

She didn’t pay attention and continued to move forward, but her shoulder was patted—

The First Imperial Princess suddenly appeared, caught up, and rode her horse side by side with her. The procession of attendants behind her was endless.

Xie Jin was startled, pulled on the reins, and stopped her horse. She cupped her hands on horseback, “May Your Highness be well.”

“Oh, we’re all family, no need to be polite,” the First Imperial Princess had thick eyebrows and large eyes, her hair was tied up high, and she still had two strands of bangs on both sides of her cheeks, with a few freckles on her cheekbones.

“I wouldn’t dare. How can we be considered family?” Xie Jin changed the subject, “It’s so late, has Your Highness had dinner? With so many attendants, have you just returned from training troops?”

“Oh, I had dinner a long time ago. These are not soldiers, just the ones who serve me in my daily life,” the First Imperial Princess waved her hand. “I was in a good mood today and came out for a walk. I didn’t expect to run into General Xie. Isn’t this fate? There’s a teahouse just ahead. How about I treat you to tea? I heard that their new Snow Top Cold Jade is the best, and the storyteller has also changed shifts. There’s a girl who is the most clever, I wonder if it’s her turn to tell a story today.”

“That would be great,” Xie Jin smiled and politely declined. “But my little daughter is still waiting for me at home. As her mother, I dare not let her wait too long, so I’m afraid I’ll have to decline Your Highness’s kind offer.”

“Just have your esteemed daughter come along as well,” the First Imperial Princess said nonchalantly. “Hey, speaking of your esteemed daughter, I heard that the General has been having trouble with her studies recently. I happen to know a teacher who is very experienced and has a very high level of skill. Ninety out of a hundred of her students have passed the imperial examinations. If the General is interested, I can introduce you.”

Xie Jin blinked impassively.

Although this was very tempting, but… to offer kindness for no reason is either a thief or a robber.

So Xie Jin cupped her hands and was about to say some grand words to politely decline when she saw the First Imperial Princess make a new move in an instant—

“Alright, I’m in charge today,” this person familiarly put her arm around her shoulder on horseback and called over an attendant, “You go to General Xie’s manor and invite Miss Xie to the teahouse ahead.”

Xie Jin was about to say something else, but the First Imperial Princess had already grabbed her reins and was shouting, “What’s there to be polite about with me,” pushing her forward.

It was the first time Xie Jin had experienced the feeling of her horse being out of control, which made her narrow her eyes.

The attendant who had been sent by the First Imperial Princess to pick up her daughter was already out of sight.

And then she remembered what Shen Zhishu had told her before, “The silver note in Qiuyan’s belongings was a gift from the First Imperial Princess”…

Xie Jin disliked being manipulated.

Her smile remained, but her voice became a little deeper, “This subordinate really has something to do today.”

“Hmm? What is it?” The First Imperial Princess tilted her head and looked at her. “Don’t tell me you’re going to find General Shen. General Shen is at the Eldest Princess Huai’an’s Manor. I know everything, don’t try to hide it from me.”

…Shen Zhishu went to see the Eldest Princess?

Didn’t she just swear to me that she would keep her distance from the Eldest Princess?

Although the astonishment on Xie Jin’s face was fleeting, it was still noticed by the First Imperial Princess, who was staring at her.

The First Imperial Princess laughed, “What, General Shen didn’t tell you? Aren’t you two as close as conjoined twins, knowing everything about each other?”

Xie Jin frowned and said impassively, “Of course I know. The matter this subordinate is talking about is not to find her, but I heard that there’s a problem with my family’s winery, so I have to go back and see.”

The First Imperial Princess said, “Oh my,” “That’s a big deal, you should go and take a look. It seems that my fate with the General is thin today, so we’ll have to meet another day. If there’s anything you can’t handle, just come to my manor and let me know. I will definitely do my best to help.”

Xie Jin cupped her hands, “Then this subordinate will thank Your Highness in advance. This subordinate will take my leave first, excuse me.”

The dust under the horse’s hooves was flying. On the way back to her manor, Xie Jin was still thinking about the First Imperial Princess’s “What, General Shen didn’t tell you.”

That’s right… she didn’t tell me.

Shen Zhishu, whom she had seen every day since she returned to the capital, had been gone for a whole day. If she had really gone to see the Eldest Princess as the First Imperial Princess had said… when she saw Shen Zhishu again, she would have to scold her for “forgetting her friend for a lover”!

Thinking this, Xie Jin turned into the study after returning to her manor and bumped into her daughter.

Miss Xie was squatting in the corner, sighing, “I still don’t understand what the tutor taught today.”

“What?” Xie Jin asked. “You want to eat roasted green vegetables?”

Miss Xie: …

Miss Xie was already used to her mother’s occasional unreliability. She patted her thighs and stood up, shaking her head, “It’s nothing. Weren’t you going to see Sister Zhishu? Why are you back so soon?”

“Your Sister Zhishu is a busy person, how can she be so easy to see?” Xie Jin picked up a book on the desk. “What did you not understand in your homework today? Let me see.”

Miss Xie opened her mouth, “The use of literary metaphors in imperial edicts, with a discussion on the style of sages expressing their aspirations through objects and its influence on the edification of subjects.”

Xie Jin: …

Xie Jin put down the book, “I don’t know.”

…It seemed that it was really time to change her daughter’s teacher.

But the First Imperial Princess’s proposal clearly had ulterior motives, so she definitely couldn’t accept it!

**

At that time, the confession game had already gone through six rounds, and the confessions included but were not limited to “I once killed a koi in a lake, so I went to buy a crucian carp to muddle through,” “I think the most beautiful person in the world is Her Highness,” “I am in love with Lantiao,” and so on.

The last one was said by Rongju, but was rejected by Lantiao, who ordered Rongju not to talk nonsense.

Rongju blinked her eyes, “I’m being sincere.”

Lantiao said with a blank expression, “What’s there to be sincere about? Your sincerity is not as sincere as my sincerity for Her Highness.”

After Lantiao finished speaking with her hands on her hips, she suddenly felt that the table was silent, and ten eyes were staring at her like lanterns. Four of them were astonished, two were disappointed, two were teasing, and two…

Her Highness’s eyes were always calm and unwavering.

Lantiao was stunned for a moment, and then she suddenly realized that she had said something wrong. She hurriedly tried to make up for it, “My sincerity for Her Highness is not of admiration, but of reverence and respect.”

A long “Oh—” sounded at the banquet.

An attendant, after “Oh-ing,” said seriously, “Actually, there’s no need to explain. Her Highness is so outstanding, it’s only human nature to fall in love with her.”

Another attendant chimed in, “It’s reasonable.”

“The doctrine of the mean.”

“Like-minded… wait, this idiom chain is not quite right.”

Lantiao: …

Lantiao frowned and was about to say, “Don’t talk nonsense, what if Her Highness really takes it to heart,” when she suddenly heard Shen Zhishu leisurely chime in, “If you really like someone, you should seize the opportunity to confess. Hiding it in your heart will only move yourself.”

Lantiao muttered, “The General seems to be very experienced?”

It was snowing again outside, and sparse and light snowflakes were falling, tinged with color by the high-hanging lanterns.

Jiang Yu leaned back a little and turned her head to the side.

She still seemed to have no emotion, but Shen Zhishu could feel her gaze fall lightly on her, and then gradually become heavier, focused and serious.

Shen Zhishu pushed the table, leaned back in her chair, clicked her tongue, and smiled, “Little girl Lantiao is not at ease, huh? What, are you trying to get something out of me?”

“Just curious,” Lantiao said. “The General speaks so fluently, do you have any related experience?”

It wasn’t Lantiao’s fault for asking. Shen Zhishu really had a very amorous pair of eyes. When she smiled and looked at people, it would make them feel as if she had been involved in a lot of romance.

And she also loved to smile. When she smiled, her pupils were tinged with a faded color by the candlelight, and a faint light was contained in a very shallow place.

“I wouldn’t say experience,” Shen Zhishu thought for a moment and said. “There’s no time for love in the military camp. After a battle, you’re so tired you just want to go to sleep. Who has the energy to think about those things?”

“So the General has never been with anyone?”

“Of course not. Besides, life and death on the battlefield are uncertain. One second you’re making vows with someone, saying ‘we don’t ask to be born in the same year, month, and day, but we ask to die in the same year, month, and day,’ and the next second you die first. What do you want the other person to do?”

Lantiao nodded and smiled, “Now that the General is back in the capital and not on the battlefield, you don’t have to consider these things.”

“That won’t do. I’ll have to go on an expedition one day,” Shen Zhishu shook her head. “I’m already prepared to be alone for the rest of my life. After all, if I die before my wife, it would be very cruel to her. It’s better to have no attachments when you’re away from home.”

“That’s true,” Lantiao said thoughtfully and turned to her Highness. She was about to say something when she suddenly found…

Her Highness was in a daze.

Jiang Yu was rarely so obviously in a daze.

Her daze was always inadvertent, rare and fleeting. Even if someone really noticed it, they would have thoughts like “Was she really in a daze just now? Did I see wrong?”

Lantiao called out softly, “Your Highness.”

Jiang Yu’s gaze suddenly focused, and she turned to her and asked, “What is it?”

Lantiao shook her head to clear her thoughts and said softly, “So we’ve all had a turn. Does Your Highness have any ideas for a new drinking game?”

Jiang Yu sat there motionlessly on her chair, did not answer this question, was silent for a while, and then suddenly turned her head to the side.

She asked, “Since the General has never been with anyone, why are you so good at giving advice?”

Shen Zhishu raised an eyebrow, “When did I give advice?”

“Wasn’t it just now when you said ‘seize the opportunity to confess’?”

“So it was that. That’s just my personal opinion, it’s not some great principle,” Shen Zhishu smiled. “I’ve seen pigs run even if I haven’t eaten pork. Although I don’t talk about it, I don’t forbid them from talking about it in the military camp. There was once a young girl who even confided in me, saying that she didn’t dare to confess to another person. I tried to persuade her for a long time, but she was unmoved. In the end, she watched as the person she liked went to someone else’s bed. That’s where my experience comes from.”

“So…” Jiang Yu asked in a faint voice, “If the General has a sweetheart in the future, will you take the initiative to confess?”

Shen Zhishu immediately replied, “No.”

“Hmm?”

Shen Zhishu said firmly, “I will not have a sweetheart.”